Snow-fence.



J. I. IBLINGS.

SNOW FENCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1011.

1,026,806, Patented May'21, 1912.

witnesses: Inventor, g. 6. John I. IbZings, 6g

Attorney. r

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN I. IBLINGS, 0F CEDAR FALLS, IOWA.

SNOW-FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 25, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 629,406.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN I. IBLINGS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Cedar Falls, Blackhawk county, Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow-Fences, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in snow fences, and the object ofmy improvement is to provide a foldable, knock-down fence, preferablyformed of metal, and which has special means for securing it to theground, and is convenient, durable and easily set up or transported.This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a section of snow fence constructedaccording to the principles of my invention, and set up ready for use.Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of the pivotal foot used to seat thelower end of the brace of the fence upright firmly in the ground, andFig. 3 is a medial longitudinal section of said pivotal foot takenthrough its U-shaped cut at one side of the turned-up lip.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

My improved fence is preferably formed in sections which may beconnected end to end in any suitable manner to form a continuous line.Each section is also preferably inclined somewhat toward the earth, asillustrated, and is supportedby braces f. The fence is constructed ofuprights a, which may be metal bars, or of angle iron, or of metal ofany desired section which may be suitable to the purpose.

The uprights aare connected by horizontal superposed metal plates Z),2', is and Z of similar form, but any number of such plates may beemployed as desired, or to fill the necessities arising from the natureof the ground. As shown, each plate is of sheet metal, with its upperpart curved or bent to present a hollowed upper face, but the curvatureof said plates may be such as to present their concave faces toward theearth. This curvature strengthens the plate, but the curve may be ofanytype or the plates may be bent in a different manner from that shownwithout departing from the principle of my invention. The ends of theplates may be secured to the uprights a by rivets or bolts 0. As shownin Fig. 1 the lower end of each up right a, as also the lower end ofeach brace i may have an angularly directed foot d, integral therewith,which may be secured to the ground by hook-pins c. I prefer, however,the means shown in Fig. 2 for securing the uprights and braces to theground. In said figure the means described and shown are only applied tothe brace f, but the same means may be applied to the foot of eachupright. This latter means comprisesa plate of metal at which has aU-shapcd cut made in its center and the lip 42 then turned up andpivoted at o to the lower end of the brace f, the latter being shown inFig. 2 as preferably formed of angle iron. The particular advantage ofthis means is to plant the plate in the earth, insuring stability, or ifthe ground is too hard or frozen, hookpins such as 0 may be driventhrough the hole in each plate to secure the plate on the ground. Thebraces f are preferably formed, as also the uprights a, to conform tothe curves of the plates 6, 2', 7c and Z, so that they may fold togetherin small compass for transportation, and of course, the foot plates wemay also fold over. The upper ends of the braces f are connectedpivotally to the upper ends 9 of the uprights by means of pintles 71..

Since the parts of my improved fence are formed of metal, they will notbe damaged by prairie fires, and will also be very enduring against theattacks of the elements, or destruction by boys or animals. The troughedor longitudinally bent form of the plates 7), i, k and Z, lendsstiffness to them as it does in other longitudinally bent or areshapedtrough-like structures, and permits the use of quite thin galvanizediron for the sake of economy and lightness in transportation, withoutliability of buckling or distortion of the plates. They are thusparticularly useful for snow fences along railway lines, though notconfined to that purpose, as such a fence may be used anywhere where itis desired or of use.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A fence composed of a plurality of uprights connected by a pluralityof superposed metal bars, the bars being longitudinally troughed, bracespivoted to said u rights, said uprights being formed to con orm to theshapes of said bars and said braces being formed to conform to the sameshape and adapted to swing toward the uprights, and means for securingboth the uprights and the braces to the ground.

2. A fence composed of a plurality of up- 1 rights, a plurality oflongitudinally curved bars connecting said uprights, braces hinged v tothe tops of said uprights, both said uprights and braces being of likeform and formed to conform to the curvatures of said in said uprightsand braces to the earth.

%igned at 'Waterloo, Iowa, this 6th day of May 1911.

JOHN I. IBLINGS. WVitnesses:

W. H. BRUNN G. G. KENNEDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 'five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G.

